Introduces Skelton and his work to readers unfamiliar with the poet, gathers together the vibrant strands of existing research, and opens up new avenues for future studies.John Skelton is a central literary figure and the leading poet during the first thirty years of Tudor rule. Nevertheless, he remains challenging and even contradictory for modern audiences. This book aims to provide an authoritative guide to this complex poet and his works, setting him in his historical, religious, and social contexts. Beginning with an exploration of his life and career, it goes on to cover all the major aspects of his poetry, from the literary traditions in which he wrote and the form of his compositions to the manuscript contexts and later reception. SEBASTIAN SOBECKI is Professor of Medieval English Literature and Culture at the University of Groningen; JOHN SCATTERGOOD is Professor (Emeritus) of Medieval and Renaissance English at Trinity College, Dublin. Contributors: Tom Betteridge, Julia Boffey, John Burrow, David Carlson, Helen Cooper, Elisabeth Dutton,A.S.G. Edwards, Jane Griffiths, Nadine Kuipers, Carol Meale, John Scattergood, Sebastian Sobecki, Greg Waite

Introduction - Sebastian SobeckiJohn Skelton (?1460-1529): A Life in Writing - John ScattergoodReligion - Thomas BetteridgeLaw and Politics - Sebastian SobeckiClassical Literature - John ScattergoodHumanism - David R. CarlsonSatires and Invectives - John A. BurrowLyrics and Short Poems - Julia BoffeySkelton's Voice and Performance - Elisabeth DuttonLiterary Tradition - Jane GriffithsSkelton and the English Language - Greg WaiteSkelton's English Works in Manuscripts and Print - Carol MealeSkelton's English Canon - A S G EdwardsReception and Afterlife - Helen CooperA Skelton Bibliography - Nadine Kuipers